the
scene Ninth Release
February 2008
Happy Valentine’s Day
Linkc
hecke r Bot
Interview
bb W 3 < m a e T s s e r P
Interview
Also : Beowulf Review - Bucket List Review - Bullet for My Valentine Review - Sweeny Todd Review & MOAR!
the
scene Ninth Release
February 2008
Editorial This February, we bring to the members of W-BB, its best ever issue of the Scene. We have incorporated changes as requested by our readers. We have constantly strived to add more quality content to the magazine. Owing to valuable member feedback and brainstorming sessions in the pressroom, we have added diversified content, which we hope that you, our readers will appreciate. This issue has been a result of teamwork and determination. We hope that the fastidiously selected articles will cater to your requirements. We have more of everything this Valentine February from more reviews and more interviews to the long-awaited inclusion of comics to the magazine. The content is designed with great care to suit members of all age groups. We hope that you will enjoy reading the magazine. We welcome constructive feedback from our readers, which will help ameliorate the magazine and aid us to bring the content that you desire most. We greet all our members and hope that you enjoy a happy valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day in this season of Love.
Regards, The Magazine Staff
the
scene Ninth Release
February 2008
Table of the Contents The Linkchecker Bot Codes and Ciphers 3 PC Interview Bullet for My Valentine Review Beowulf Review CoolAsIce Interview The Bucket List Review Sweeny Todd Review I am Legend Review Book of Secrets Comics
February
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The Link Checker Bot
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Say hello to our new bot friend. That’s right; it’s our very own linkchecker bot, otherwise, affectionately known as Viewsonic 2. What does it do you may ask? Well, besides relentlessly posting and pwning every reporter and moderator out there (Just kidding, you know I love you), what it does is check our Rapidshare links and if they are no longer alive, it an important job. Nobody it bins them. Indeed, it’s likes finding dead links, and this is where our linkchecker bot comes into play. Its work is admirable, and it has already binned over 18,000 topics and can only move further and do more and more work. As of yet, it checks only Rapidshare links. If it finds a main post with more than 90% of the total links dead, it appends its signature message and bins the thread automatically by moving it to the ‘Graveyard’. It runs as a cron job and periodically crawls through our public warez forums and checks the topics posted. That way the warez section of Warez-BB stays as clean as possible. Soon, the bot will be able to check not only Rapidshare links, but also other host’s links. Created by Coolyou and his trusty Developers team, the bot started running early December and has done an unimaginable amount of work. It all started when ‘Get Perpendicular’ sent our scripteur, Coolyou, a script that allows bulletin boards like phpBB to check links posted on them. After many man-hours, script editing, hard work and testing the bot was ready. Security issues dealt with and script tweaked, it was set in motion and it immediately started checking links gleefully. As you could see, the results were more than satisfactory. It showed what some knowledge and a lot of elbow grease could achieve. You may ask yourselves, ’Why do we need our moderators and reporters?' The work that goes on behind the scenes is amazing. Checking and binning links is but the tip of the iceberg. The bot is there to assist our awesome staff and help lift some of the workload off their shoulders. After all, warez is sharing. However, it cannot take the role of the reporters and moderators. Without them, who else would be there to protect us from phishers, viruses, flaming, scammers and spam? Yep, the bot doesn’t have nearly enough power to keep our forum completely clean. With more than 4 million posts and around 500,000 members, the task of keeping our community clean cannot fall bot shoulders alone. on a bot’s
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Our linkchecker bot is not perfect just yet. It has it strengths and weaknesses. It can make errors. Of course, the aspiration is to improve it and make it perfect. In addition, this is where we, members come to the fore. Maybe you have noticed a topic with dead Rapidshare links that hasn’t been binned or a topic that has been binned by the bot but contains sh Click on live links or mirrors. If you do, don’t be shy. the shiny ‘Report’ button and let our staff know about the mistake. If you identify that a post has been binned accidentally, don’t be afraid to let the people in charge know. Please report your bugs. Your reports will help make the bot serve you better. And there you have it folks, that’s our linkchecker bot. Created by Coolyou and the Developers team, it’s a very powerful tool. It serves the forum faithfully and helps keep it clean. Fear the bot power and don’t forget to help improve the linkchecker by reporting its bugs. Take a look at the ‘Graveyard’ to see how much work the bot does and don’t blink, you may just miss its next post count milestone.
Chronus
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Hey guys, and welcome to another issue of The Scene. In this issue, I've decided to write the third article in my series, ‘Codes and Ciphers’. In which, I'll brush upon some select codes and ciphers, purely out of interest. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this too, and all the other articles in this great magazine.
Caesar ShiftThis is one of the most widely known and used ciphers in the ancient times. This is named after, as you may have guessed it, Julius Caesar, who used this cipher to communicate orders with his army. It is, as all ancient ciphers, very simple and insecure these days, but there are a few points, which spark interest. This is known by many names such as the Caesar's cipher, the shift cipher, and Caesar's code. Basically, it consists of substituting each letter of the cleartext with a letter which is a specific number of places ahead of the original letter. This will help you understand – Letter - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Key - E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D As you can see, I have moved each letter four places to the right. To encipher the message, one would simply have to substitute each letter with the corresponding letter four places ahead of it. For example, I would have to write HELLO as MIPPS. The receiver would simply have to move each letter back four places, to get the original word. Pretty simple cipher, eh? Suppose if someone intercepts the message, and they don’t know how many places each letter is moved forward by. The only method to solve this is a trial and error method. Long and complicated, but it is bound to come out good.
Book CipherAh. The Book Cipher. One which was used by myself today. :P Simply put, you take your message and replace it with numbers corresponding to words in a book, say a dictionary or a thesaurus. Those of you who have read the Sherlock Holmes novel, Valley Of Fear, would recognize this. A message coded using this cipher reaches Holmes.
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Holmes and Watson figure out that it was a book cipher and the book was an almanac. This is very difficult to decipher if you don’t have the book needed. This is where the main drawback of this cipher arises- the name of the book must be communicated to the receiver, and this name can be easily intercepted and the whole cipher becomes useless. Some of you may have heard of the Bible Cipher, or even the Beale ciphers. These are all examples of the Book Cipher.
Nihilist Cipher-
As the name suggests, this was used by the Nihilists during the Russian Revolution (1917, folks!). I really like this cipher. I’ll give you the essentials now. You may recall that last time round, I had created a 5x5 square. That square is actually called a Polybius square, for future reference. 12345 1 C LAU S 2BDEFG 3HIKMN 4OPQRT 5VWXYZ Although the keyword is a little out of date, I’ll go on anyway. :P. And oh, the same as last time, J and K are in the same block and can be treated as the same. First, we have to decide on a keyword. Let’s say, erm… CRYSIS. :P And most importantly, we need our message, in this case, I like cats. Using the above square, we have to replace the letters with number. Rows first, columns second. Therefore, C becomes 11, R becomes 44, Y becomes 54, S becomes 15, and I becomes 32. Do you get the idea? The same should be done for the message.
Cleartext – 32 12 32 33 23 11 13 45 15 Keyword – 11 44 54 15 32 11 44 54 15 The keyword is repeated so as to have the same number of ‘blocks’ as the cleartext. Now comes the fun part. You simply add the number values to get a final number, which is the cipher. In this case,
Cleartext – 32 12 32 33 23 11 13 45 15 Keyword – 11 44 54 15 32 11 44 54 15 Ciphertext- 43 56 86 48 55 22 57 99 30
This ciphertext is grouped together and sent. The receiver simply separates them into blocks of two and subtracts the number value of the keyword to get the number value of the cleartext. Then, using the Polybius square, gets the intended message. :) Although a bit complicated, I really like this cipher. So that is all from me, folks. See you in the next issue.
Silly Billy
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Interview
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E - Enigma86
PC >>
Hi
E. >>
Hi mate :D ,How are you? :)
PC >>
Well, I'm fine. Thanks. And you?
E. >>
I'm good. Thanks. Shall we blast-off with our interview?
PC >>
Sure.
E. >>
Great. How old are you?
PC >>
I'm 29.
E. >>
Cool. Soon to be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rocker Kung-Fu Pandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eh?
PC >>
No, I like the idea of keeping some youngness in myself, especially during some activities. It's important to stay young sometimes and not aging as an old walrus on the iceberg, without energy.
E. >>
How long have you been an admin here at W-BB?
PC >>
I think it's been almost 5 months now :)
E. >>
How many hours do you devote for W-BB?
PC >>
That depends of the period; I used to spend almost 10 hours a day on BB when I was unemployed, but now it's more something like 2 hours on weekdays and 5-6 on weekends.
E. >>
What are your responsibilities as an administrator in W-BB?
PC >>
I'm in charge of general security and legal concerns, as well as the external contacts like with advertisers and partners. I also held a position of marketing analyst for global development of BB in IT.
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E. >>
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen you a lot in the IRC network. Are you also an IRC op?
PC >>
Yes, I used to be a lot on IRC these last years. I was operating at a network called Linknet, which welcomes most of the top scene channels. IRC is a genuine protocol, easy & stable that made and still does a lot for virtual socialism, and it was widely used as chat protocol before IMs like MSN Messenger were designed.
E. >>
Yes, IRC aids engaging conversations. I love the IRC, for it helps me to socialize and engage in fruitful conversations with many people. It's always funny to see that I've missed 20 lines after I bat my eyelids. lol
E. >>
How long have you been a part of the scene?
PC >>
Well, it's been around 14 years now, I did my first lessons on BBS :) How about you?
E. >>
Wow. Thats a lot. I've been around for approximately 6 years now.
PC >>
You haven't known Buccaneer's tragedy.
E. >>
Nope.
PC >>
It was the fair time when authorities acted towards cyber criminals and not little customers like you and me.
E. >>
Yes. Warez is sharing. Cyber criminals inflict serious damage. It is sad that authorities decide to go after soft targets. However, due to the location of our server, we are operating within the rules laid out before us.
PC >>
Warez-BB officiates like a service provider; allowing people to send messages to others and nothing else. We only supply physical facilities.
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PC >>
Depending on the rules of your country, it may not be legal to download and upload but also share information, which leads to warez. Abiding by the laws of the land is important. However, Warez-BB does not support piracy and it is open to any request in order to get some of the messages our members posted deleted. The site is only supplying people with physical facilities to allow them to talk to each other, and cannot be held as responsible of what people may do while using this service. It is like suing an ISP IS for letting his customer downloading copyrighted contents; I hope our society won't turn into such an Idiocracy.
E. >>
Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true. I'm certain people are more civilized and understand the services provided.
E. >>
Do you believe that the IRC protocol is the successors to BBS ?
PC >>
Nope, IRC is not the successor of BBS. Warez-BB and web forums are. The BBS are bulletin board system; to make it simple, they were forums hosted on protocols other than HTTP (telnet for example). There are still BBS alive; they just aren't used anymore for warez activities. Diamond Mine is a well-known and still alive BBS. [code] telnet://bbs.dmine.net [/code]
E. >>
Yes. Possibly because of the low speeds and emergence of new technologies which have made BBS a thing of the past. Moreover, I believe that the modern generation feels more comfortable using a browser.
PC >>
Yeah, I think it's more about having real graphical viewings, than something in relation with technologies and speeds. BBS could have been improved with graphical environments.
E. >>
Yeah. It's true. I wish that people should try a few bulletin boards through telnet to really appreciate the http experience provided by W-BB.
PC >>
That's a change :)
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E. >>
Yeah and it'll be a drastic one for the new warez troopers when they dare to venture into the realms of telnet. lol
PC >>
Or waiting two weeks to get a 2d flipper on a floppy.
E. >>
Haha. Indeed. :D
E. >>
As an admin on a warez-forum, how much do you upload/download?
PC >>
I've never uploaded, I used shelltrade on topscene and also remoteuploading to few web-based hosters but I stopped it due to the risks it generated.
PC >>
About downloading, well I download quite much I have to confess. I'm really a fan of music & movies in general.
E. >>
I've always remote-uploaded. I like to remote files between RS servers myself. I download many books and tutorials to help me with my education. I also download movies and music. It would be weird if I confess that I entered W-BB for the E-Books. The E-Bookz section is a repository of information, which has left me awestruck at times. :D
PC >>
I buy my books in library â&#x20AC;&#x201C; probably for the paper, its smell and its portability :)
E. >>
I collect documentaries and TV shows for my parents.
PC >>
It's cool that you help your parents.
E. >>
Thanks mate. Do you love Radio shows?
PC >>
I really appreciate political talk shows; the radio is very free here. I also like Wadio shows. There are many good vibes on Wadio, great members and a couple of stars :P
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E. >>
I love to hear politics. Everyone has a different version about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on. :P I love wadio. It's very good. The Christmas shows were enthralling.
PC >>
The warez-shop is nearly back. We decided to launch a new version of the shop with products at very low prices (retailer's prices).
E. >>
Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awesome. I'm sure that members will be pleased to receive plethora of goods at subsidized prices from the warez-shop. :D
PC >>
The warez-bb T-shirt will be the main product.
E. >>
It looks cool. I've already seen a few senior members sporting the W-BB T-shirts in the photo album posted in off-topic :)
PC >>
:)
E. >>
Do you play computer games?
PC >>
Yes, I sometime take few breaks to relax on Counter Strike Source, especially on the WBB server.
E. >>
I've never seriously played anything other than strategy games. I love Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights. I've been playing these for ages and have not managed to move beyond these games.
PC >>
I used to play much more when I was younger. I was a Mega Drive addict. Street of Rage is probably the most achieved game on the platform.
E. >>
Cool :) It is good. I've been a Mortal Kombat 4 addict once :D
PC >>
:P
E. >>
Do you have a favorite movie?
PC >>
I have two: _Le Grand Bleu_ and _A Clockwork Orange_ That's two movies I can keep watching again & again. They spread you somewhere. It's spiritual.
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E. >>
Very nice mate :) What is your hobby?
PC >>
Warez-BB :)
E. >>
Cool :D
PC >>
Hehe. I also often enjoy nightclubs and restaurants.
E. >>
I do music when I'm free. It's the sound of 60's muzik for me.
PC >>
I don't really like theater. 60s, like what?
E. >>
I love Elvis, The Mamas and the Papas, Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Carpenters, Beach Boys and the Searchers. I however treat every song on its own merits. It’s more an addiction towards a song than a complete album. :D
PC >>
Mamas are good. My tastes are a bit after chronologically: more 80s/90s (especially Joy Division), and nowadays electro, like the dafts.
E. >>
They are cool too. I must listen to Joy Division :)
PC >>
There's a good movie recently released about JD. It’s called Control. It's a very good movie.
E. >>
Thanks mate. I'll be sure to see that. :D
E. >>
I love Comedy shows. I found a blog which has been keeping me preoccupied over the past week :D [code] http://comedymedia.blogspot.com [/code]
PC >>
Thanks for the link although that’s not really my taste. :$
E. >>
lol Np.
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PC >>
I prefer the comedies made in Europe.
E. >>
I prefer the UKTV humor myself sometimes. Internet is a boon. It allows me to watch some really good shows from the past like Radio Active. The Radio Active shows were posted on the Advent Calendar thread in W-BB.
PC >>
UK is really good. I love the Montys. I spent lot of time with them during my Childtime.
E. >>
Yeah. Monty Python was a God to both python programmers and others alike.
PC >>
:)
PC >>
European or African swallow? :D
E. >>
Hehe. What is your profession?
PC >>
I'm a financial analyst. I was a stockbroker since last year.
E. >>
Cool. :) What is your favorite section in W-BB?
PC >>
Forum Comments. I like reading members feedback.
E. >>
It's also my favorite section :)
E. >>
Explain your avatar? What do you think about the subsequent thread?
[code] http://www.warez-bb.org/viewtopic.php?p=6355484 [/code]
PC >>
My avatar? This is my nick; I'm the Kung-Fu Panda. One time sweet, one time spicy :) That's my temperament. Oh, and thanks for the link â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I just asked a friend to make an AV from it. :D
E. >>
lol. Hot and sweet Panda. Cool :D
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E. >>
How did you arrive at W-BB ?
PC >>
Znews, a BBS I was in charge of suddenly stopped because our scripteur died. So I wanted to move to the web boards and google it. :) Pure hazard.
E. >>
I'm sorry to hear about the Znews Scripteur mate. We are glad to have you here at W-BB though. :)
PC >>
Thanks. About the scripteur, he was 57 and smoked all his life. He reposes in peace.
E. >>
R.I.P
E. >>
What motivates you to work so hard?
PC >>
Nothing concrete, I've received a strong education, which brought me the want factor :) Motivation is like a part of me, it's constant.
E. >>
Thanks mate. It's very inspiring :) What is your ambition?
PC >>
I'd like to start my own business. It's something I've been thinking a lot these last months.
E. >>
I wish you G'luck in your endeavor mate. :)
E. >>
Explain the nick "PC"? :P
PC >>
Those are my initials.
Just a little more >>
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Interview
E. >>
Btw, My nick is an algorithm name. lol
PC >>
lol, damn geek. Bust them.
E. >>
lol. Would you like to say something to the members of W-BB?
PC >>
Well, I would just like to thank them for keeping the site alive, and being a part of the family. I would like to tell them I care about them, and value the things they do on BB. There's so much diversity on the forums.
E. >>
Thanks for the interview with the P.T mate. Interviewing you was the best experience I have ever had. Good luck in all your endeavors. Happy Administration mate. :)
PC >>
Thanks a lot, mate, for taking time to make this interview. I was very glad to talk to you, especially about lots of things that are kept off. :P I wish you all the best and I would like to congratulate you for joining the staff.
E. >>
Thanks a million mate. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very eager to join the staff. Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;luck. :D
So another great interview ends, See you next time with our next victim and the torturer!
Enigma86
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Matthew “Matt” Tuck – vocals, guitars Michael “Padge” Paget – guitars Michael “Moose” Thomas – drums Jason “Jay” James - bass "The best British metal band to emerge in years." - Q Magazine The Welsh metal-core band Bullet For My Valentine has spent most of the past two years taking over the world with massive U.K., European, U.S. and worldwide tours, sharing the stage with Guns N Roses, Metallica and Iron Maiden, playing the Main Stage at just about every rock festival on the planet, and seeing their 2006 debut album The Poison an album London's daily The Sun called "One of the finest debut albums in rock history" - sell more than one-million copies worldwide – 350,000 in the U.S. alone – a very rare achievement for an emerging band. Back home, Bullet For My Valentine has graced the covers of the UK’s Kerrang!, Rock Sound, and Metal Hammer. They won Metal Hammer’s 2006 “Golden God Award” for Best British Band, and the 2006 Kerrang! Award for “Best UK Single” for their track “Tears Don’t Fall.” Here in America, Revolver magazine heralded the band “British Import of the Yea Year,” and The Poison generated the hit singles “Tears Don’t Fall” and “All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me),” with the video for “All These Things I Hate” going to the #1 spot on MTV2. The band has toured North America three times, and in early 2007, they sold out their first headline trek.
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On January 29, 2008, Bullet For My Valentine is set to return with Scream Aim Fire (2020/Jive/SonyBMG), the band’s highly anticipated sophomore release. The 11-track assault was produced by Colin Richardson (Machine Head, Funeral For A Friend) and recorded at Sonic Ranch just outside of El Paso, TX in early 2007, and is, according to front man Matthew “Matt” Tuck, “really melodic heavy metal…catchy, hooky choruses and full-on vocals with the music being very in-your-face and heavy…it’s a lot more up-tempo than The Poison, a lot more aggressive.” Scream Aim Fire, featuring the distinctive and powerful six-string dexterity of Michael “Padge” Padget, the unwavering instrumental groove of bassist Jason “Jay” James and the relentless thundering rhythms of Michael “Moose” Thomas, the musical backbone of Bullet is an intimidating force. With a lifetime of classic metal inspiration behind him, vocalist/guitarist Tuck is a formidable and powerful voice for the ever energetic, young metal generation. “We have stepped it up a gear,” says the front-man. “This album is chock full of classic Bullet ingredients. Metal riffs, pounding rhythms, shredding solos and great melodies. We took everything that we learnt from ‘The Poison,’ and took up tenfold. Better, fresher, harder, sadder and more real.” Opening with the aural assault of the title track and first single -“Scream Aim Fire” – to the hard-hitting riff slammer of “Waking The Demon,” and the arenaballad epic “Hearts Burst Into Fire,” this album will definitely catapult Bullet into a world-wide spotlight. “(The track) ‘Scream Aim Fire’ set the benchmark for the rest of the album,” says Tuck. “It was the moment we realized the direction of where we wanted the record to go. Lyrically, it’s not a saying that anyone can relate anything else to. It’s ours and the meaning is ours alone. Kill or be killed – that’s what this game is like. You’re either on top of the game, or you are out, and we are very much still in. Our quality of song writing, our structures, our timing – the songs are intense and accessible, whilst still keeping our metal roots.” Tuck believes that the band’s unique accessibility lies in the fact that fans – regardless of age, gender or nationality – can relate to the subjects and issues tackled within their tracks.
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“It’s important to us that fans can make a connection with our songs,” says the front-man. “For example, ‘Waking The Demon’ is about being bullied at school – which is something that me and most of the boys went though. The track is about one day, just turning round, and deciding to not take it anymore. I’d hope that our fans can relate to that.” And despite the fact that these four musicians are now considered prominent players in the UK/European metal world, as well as serious up-and-comers here in the U.S. – the lads remain grounded (all still living in their native Welsh homeland) – and eternally grateful for the position that they now find themselves in. “If it wasn’t for the fans, we would never even have been able to make this second album,” says Tuck. “We are so thankful to them, and we will always try to deliver the goods. I know we had to cancel a load of shows last year (Tuck was hospitalized in the winter of 2006 and forced to undergo surgery on his tonsils), but it hurt us so much to do so. We really hated to let anyone down, but it was an unavoidable evil, and now I am confident that this record – and this band – are stronger than ever.” To support the release of Scream Aim Fire, Bullet for My Valentine will set off on what will be more than two years of solid, worldwide touring, starting in the UK and Europe in January, 2008, and then coming to America beginning in late February. “We are still so hungry for this,” states Tuck. “We are motivated and ambitious. We know where we want to be. We have played with legends and if we get to that level, it would be amazing. But you know what? If it ended tomorrow, we would still be happy. We are amazingly proud of what we have achieved and what we have done. We are having the time of our lives. The world is our oyster…” Scream, Aim, Fire – the bullets are launched. You have been warned! “Bullet For My Valentine seem unstoppable…” - NME
C.A.I
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You take an old English 11th century poem, add a sexy demon, a few epic battles and some nice CGI effects and what do you have on your hands? That’s right, a blockbuster. That is exactly what director Robert Zemeckis did. Originally a poem, dated back as early as the 8th century, Beowulf has seen its cinematic adoption. The movie, released in November, 2007 ranked #1 in the US box office on its first week of release and proved that reviving centuries’ old manuscript sometimes does pay. Script written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, the movie appeared to be a promising one. Therefore, I went to the local cinema to see it. And here it is, straight from the Warez-BB Press Team, the Beowulf movie review:
Animation
If there’s anything in the movie that I can’t fault, it’s the animation. The stunning graphics clearly shows the time and effort that went into making this movie. The high level of detail and advanced 3D graphic work that enriched the movie no doubt played a more than trivial part in promoting the movie to the top of the box office. I, at times, believed that I was watching real actors rather than an animated movie. There is always room for improvement but the animation was, in my view, nearly perfect.
Audio
My Score: 9/10
As you all very well know, audio plays a very important part in nowadays’ cinema. The days of silent movies are long gone and having the best sound effects possible is nearly a requirement. Without good music, a movie will simply fail. As for this movie, I can’t say much about the sound effects. The well-picked music suited the scenarios and the voice acting was well done. At times, it could have been better but all in all, it was above average. The only thing I can say is that it didn’t leave a lasting impression. My Score: 6.5/10
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Plot
It’s an ancient English poem, what else can I say? Huge battles, inspiring scenes and memorable moments leave little to be desired. As expected, Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary did not disappoint me. The script well written and showed true depth. It was very interesting and genuine. The scriptwriters stuck to the source and kept the detail and environment in place to leave the viewer deep in thought. The plot didn’t keep me glued to the screen, but nonetheless, I can’t say it wasn’t intriguing. Like I said, there is always room for improvement but the plot was very good indeed.
Overall Overall, the movie was definitely a nice piece of cinema. Not only providing entertainment; it taught a valued life lesson about the human nature. One can easily see the depth of the movie and it does leave a lasting impression, maybe except for the mediocre audio. Pride and greed, both portrayed perfectly in the movie, made it more than an enjoyable thing to watch. Stunning graphics and good voice acting made this movie all the more enjoyable. All in all, if you have the time and the money you might as well go and watch the movie. I didn’t regret it.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Chronus
9 CoolAsIce Interview
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Legend: CHR - Chronus CAI - CoolAsIce Hi There Hello How are you, mate? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m well, thanks, You? I'm great, thanks. Good. Shall we get down to business?
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Yep, fire away. Cool. Where are you from mate? Sunny Cornwall, UK. Nice. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? I'm 16 :D So, still in school? Yeah, I’m in my last 5 months now. Haha, great. And how are things going for you? Well, 2007 went pretty bad, I won’t elaborate. However, many people know how bad it went, but I’m looking forward to a brighter 2008 really. That's the spirit ;) Any hobbies you'd like to tell our readers about? Well, my main hobby is that I play ‘under 16’ rugby for my local team, and obviously moderating Warez-BB, which is amazing :D
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is amazing. How's your rugby team doing? We're doing pretty well at the moment. Actually we have won 7 out of 9 games, with 1 loss and a draw :D Aiming for #1, eh?! Yep, hoping for county champions ;) That's awesome. Good luck ;) Thank you. I'm sure we will need it. What else are you into besides rugby, and obviously WBB? Do you like music? Yep, I like a lot of music and listen to anything as long as it isn’t rap. However, my favourite type of music is Metal, with a few of my favourite bands being ‘Avenged Sevenfold’, ‘Bullet For My Valentine’ and ‘Blink 182’. You've got good taste. Thanks :) Don't mention it. Now, down to the nitty-gritty – Warez-BB. How did you discover the site in the first place?
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Ah, I discovered Warez-BB from a download site for mobiles. There was a forum called Link Heaven strangely enough, and someone had posted Warez-BB in there. Once I stumbled across the site, it was to be my internet home ;) That's a nice story. What were your thoughts when you first saw our very own virtual home? Well to begin with, I loved the style. It was simple and effective and still is ;) The logo caught my eye mostly and the community stood out a mile, this is why I decided to stay. Sounds like love ;) yup ;) What about a leeching period? Most of us had one. How about you? oh yes, back in the day ;) Well, I never had any idea on how to post, or share or even help back then. You could have said I was a total n00b, but after staying, looking around and learning, I started to share more and more. I became part of the Uploaders Team, and this turned me from leeching to sharing :) [Starts crying] That's beautiful.
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:) Is there anyone special on Warez-BB that you looked up to? Well, the members that helped me along the way are numerous, but I would say that the members I look up to are: Coolyou - A legend. Always willing to help and chat, he also looks after me :D HOT TUNA - Helped me loads, this guy has all the time in the world to help, and I have always looked up to him. RandomHero - Also, an awesome member and a great friend, I only met him a few months ago, however, we have built a friendship all from Warez-BB and this proves anyone can make friendships from anywhere. Finally, ashmo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Amazing friend, met him at the beginning of 07 and we have retained a friendship that is awesome. Indeed great people. So, what was the thing that you think, earned you Mod status? Well, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the biggest reporter in town, but I think it was the fact I stuck to it and continued to report each month. I also think I generally helped around the forum a lot, shared downloads and helped in the Helpdesk.
Basically you did your utmost best to make the forum better for all of us ;) I did my best :P
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Do you have any tips for our aspiring readers? Aim for the top. Work hard, help others, and do the best you can guys, that's all anyone asks for in life. Remember, every contribution is highly valued at Warez-BB :D Hallelujah! True words of wisdom! And now I believe that I have run out of questions. Thank you for the great interview ;) Was a privilege to be here, thank you, and enjoy the issue guys ;)
And this br ings a interv n end iew. W to yet target ho wil anoth l our i next? er ntervi Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l next is ewersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; l have sue to to rea see, so d the stay tu ned. Chronus
9 The Bucket List
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"There was a survey once. A thousand people were asked, if they could know in advance, would they want to know the exact day of their death. Ninety Six percent of them said "No". I always leaned towards the other four percent. I thought it would be liberating, knowing how much time you had left to work with. It turns out, it's not." The words of a dying cancer patient, Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman), in one of the best films lined up for 2008. "The Bucket List", directed by Rob Reiner, follows the final days of Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson), both of whom share a room in the Cancer Ward of Edward's Hospital. "The Bucket List" is a fantastic film about friendship, faith, and determination to fulfill life's greatest potential, following the superb duo across a list of events that would entertain any audience. Filled with dark humour, Reiner manages to portray the image of a self-centred billionaire and a blisteringly clever auto-mechanic very well. Freeman and Nicholson are both able to handle their parts with ease, and it's a wonder why they weren't teamed up before. Freeman plays the dignified role, as always, of Carter, the auto-mechanic with a lovely wife, and well-educated children, who finds out he has cancer, while on the job. Nicholson, still with his bad-man attitude, certainly finishes the job of portraying Edward as the billionaire who builds his business from the age of sixteen, self-taught to care for only himself. Upon meeting, Edward demands his own room, as the hospital owner, but is forced to settle into sharing a room with Carter, to his greatest dislike. Gradually, their humour brings them together and they begin to bond like children at a new school. After games of Gin Rummy, and "get to know the family" sessions, Carter and Edward compile a Bucket List, named appropriately so, as the point of a bucket list is to generate a list of things you wish to do before you "Kick the Bucket". Among many tasks, they propose to drive Shelby Mustangs, kiss the most beautiful girl in the world, and witness something majestic. Needless to say, they then go on a long journey, covering the globe, in an epic, action packed, comedic masterpiece. As the film progresses, we see their friendship blossom, and the inner bud of Edward unfold. I honestly believe this to be the final film of both Freeman and Nicholson's careers, and a prodigious performance at that. I recommend viewing to the mature audience as the short sexual references and witty humour will surpass the younger generation. Despite the one and a half hour viewing time, "The Bucket List" will have you gripping your seat to the end.
Tritoch
February
THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET "There was a barber and his wife, and she was beautiful. A foolish barber and his wife, she was his reason and his life, and she was beautiful..." Set in 1765, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is an eccentric adaptation of Steven Sondheimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical. The dark arts begin when Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) glides up the Thames, in the dead of the night, camouflaging himself with his pale face against the pale water. As the ship sails under an eerie London Bridge, it becomes quite clear that Tim Burton was born to direct this film. With many morbid yet humorous productions under his belt, such as The Nightmare before Christmas, The Corpse Bride and Beetlejuice, who else should take on Sweeney Todd but Tim Burton himself? The masterpiece unfolds like a 'Grimm' tale. Sweeney Todd returns to London after 15 years of torture. Eyes dead, voice silent, his painful life story emerges through haunted, hollow songs and expressive off-key melodies, uncovering his intent to murder the man who condemned him and his family, to a life of sadistic suffering. Wearing his past like the sentimental shield, encapsulating his soul from the rest of the world, Todd finds himself back at Fennel Street, above Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie shop, where he and his family once lived their over-joyous lives, unaware of the evil events to come. London, itself, was never a glorious place, but Tim Burton manages to take it one step further and drain London of any life and colour that may have been contained within it's walls, at some point in our past. Cold, cobbled streets set the scene as dark, dead sets fill the screen to bring the perfect effect. The chemistry between Depp and Helena Bonham Carter's genial cockney Mrs Lovett is awesome. Lovett's unreciprocated passion for Todd is depicted consistently throughout the film. The idea of stuffing her pies with the outcome of Todd's enchanted razor skills haunts you throughout most of the film. The violence and gore definitely sets this apart from the any musicalgone-movie I've seen, and this certainly isn't a family film.
February
The pace of the film is elegantly laid out and it surprises you. Burton has pruned Sondheim's arias to develop the tempo of a thriller, undertaking brilliant editing along the way. The villains are less stocky, yet more menacing. Adolfo Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen), is Todd's unisex rival, with plans to blackmail him. Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), is a sinister, "pious vulture", ready to pounce and bend the law, because he can, top obtain his desires. Lastly, Beadle Bamford (Timoth Spall), is a fantastically ultra-violent 'side-kick', who succumbs to his lord's every will. I worship Burton's ability to emphasise blood and gore in a musical, to the extent that it actually sticks in your mind for days to come. Overall, the sound of skulls splitting as they hit the basement floor, as Todd's victims take the last decent before being disfigured and served up, is not for the faint hearted, y e t S w e e n e y To d d i s t h e b e s t muscial-turned-movie I have ever seen, and it doesn't surprise me because Tim Burton really is an established genius. This movie really has captured the years "Surprisingly Excellent" award, and I whole-heartedly recommend you go see it.
February
I AM EGEN
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Hollywood loves the end of the world. The basic idea of a disease of one sort or another wiping out the human race has been done and re-done so many times it’s almost impossible to keep track of the original use of the concept. Although if I were asked where this particular concept originated, my money would be on the 1964 Vincent Price film, The Last Man on Earth, based on Richard Matheson’s novella “I Am Legend”. "Legend" was remade in 1971, with sci-fi overtones, as the Charlton Heston vehicle, "The Omega Man". Now the world finds itself with yet another version, finally titled, "I Am Legend". This edition features Will Smith as scientist Robert Neville, battling a vampiric plague caused by a cancer cure gone horribly wrong. While Last Man was a grim descent into madness plagued by Night of the Living Dead-like vampires, Omega Man was more of a slam-bang action film. I Am Legend wants it both ways and guess what, it gets it. Starting off with a galvanizing James Bond-ish race through the deserted streets of New York as Neville, like a modern cowboy, chases down a herd of deer in a bright red Mustang, New York is now a desolate yet strangely peaceful wasteland populated only by Neville, his dog Sam, a number of strategically placed mannequins and about a million vampire plague victims. As the film progresses, Neville's daily lifestyle begins to unfold. Wake up after dreaming about the past, to have Sam clean his chin, and his alarm clock go off. Work out and go down into the Laboratory to see if he's managed to cure the vampiric zombies. Oh, I forgot to mention, Neville is a virologist who has made it his duty to find a cure and save humanity once and for all. (sound familiar?). After finishing up for the day, he heads over to South Street Sea Port, when the sun peaks, in hopes of meeting any survivors which may have heard his AM broadcast, signaling the docks as a meeting point.
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When the sun starts to set, his wristwatch sounds, indicating it's time to get home, to his safe haven. Upon reaching his home, he uses chemicals to cover his scent, so the creatures don't know where he lives. Once inside, all windows and doors are bolted. Then, it's a waiting game. Neville hears the screams, and decay of the vampiric zombies that prowl the earth at night, slowly eating into his sanity. Neville mental state becomes ever more unbalanced. Ostensibly, the As the film progresses Neville’s monstrous victims of the genetically modified cancer cure are the physical danger, but ever more taunting is the psychological torture that our hero undergoes constantly. sho running the range from Will Smith is quite good in what is essentially a one-man show, quivering fear to dark humor to virtual catatonia. The movie itself alternates between flashbacks of the noisy, packed streets of the city as inhabitants flee the plague and Neville’s current sad and isolated existence. The trailer would have you believe this is a terrifying thrill ride, and it is, but it’s also a singularly melancholic story as well. A sparser, grimmer version of the tale than either previous film, I Am Legend is nevertheless an engaging view. The monsters are truly monstrous, the action is exciting and when the film reaches for pathos, it achieves its goal. The book’s more cerebral conceit, that in a world of vampires the vampire killer is the true monster (and thus the “legend” of the title) is still ignored. No man is an island and Neville, assailed from within and without, provides us with a portrait of a man adrift \in a scientifically created hell. However, it’s an engagingly interesting hell and Robert Neville is a fascinating character. In spite of the sadness of his quixotic mission of redemption, audiences will no doubt enjoy watching Smith in the fantastically played out psychological, sci-fi, horror mix film.
Tritoch
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BOOK OF SECRETS Treasure hunter Benjamin Gates (Nicholas Cage) is back again in the Jerry Bruckheimer directed film National Treasure: Book of Secrets, sequel to the 2004 film National Treasure. This time Gates, his father Patrick, mother Emily, girlfriend Abigail, and friend Riley set off to find the lost City of Gold in order clear Ben’s great-grandfather’s name as a co-conspirator in the murder of President Abraham Lincoln. The film follows the group as they find clues in places such as London, Paris, and Washington, D.C. As in the first installment, Book of Secrets is packed with action and laughs. While there are some unrealistic scenes, the movie in a whole delivers what it was designed to do; provide something the whole family can enjoy. Even though rated PG, the film will give viewers of all ages with an enjoyable cinema experience and leave with a bit of history as well. This is by no means Nicholas Cage’s Cage best acting, but the supporting cast helps make the film what it is. The relationships between Ben’s father (Jon Voight) and mother (Helen Mirren) as well as between Ben and Abigail (Diane Druger) add side-stories to the film and funny guy Riley (Justin Botha) provides comedic relief. Those who enjoyed the original National Treasure film will likely enjoy this episode. While the film is a bit cliché in its predictable storyline and plot, it still manages to hold the audience’s attention through decent action sequences and adventure. Overall, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a big budget sequel that lives up to its predecessor and gives moviegoers an enjoyable experience. Although predictable and at times unbelievable, the film’s supporting actors make this movie worth seeing.
Rating:
/10 6.5/10
pimfram
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All right Class, how do you call a person who keeps on talking, even if nobody is listening?
W T F
T s s
e r P
And you stay there till I call you back!!
A school-teacher?
5 E K S K C RI OZ W E R HE
Rickske5
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February 2008
The Credits enigma86 Magazine Team Leader
the
scene Yoghurt Graphics Team Leader
the
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tommii89 Magazine Co-Leader
the
Ashmo
Writers Team Leader
The Artists
scene
The Writers
tommii89
CoolAsIce
pimfram
RedFlow
Slayer
Chronus
xxpaigexx
Clarinda
Silly-Billy
Vetzak
Dark Elite
Aydrian
Comics Designers
Tritoch
enigma86
Grimezy
Dramamine
Rickske5
Phoxtrot
the
scene
AZUPO Compiler
enigma86 Proof Reading Leader
Clarinda
the
scene
Silly-Billy
the
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February 2008
Special Thanks To Slayer
For your thoughtful suggestions and being an inspirational leader for new press team members. You are a good friend to everybody.
AZUPO
For being a dependable member, a great article writer, a good friend and a great leader. You have always compiled all our Scene issues.
Mistweaver
For woking your ass out by proofing articles and leading the team. We miss your elite humor and wisdom in the press team, friend.
Aydrian
For being a powerful leader and a great article writer. You are our lovable angry man.
Tom91
For being the Scene's founding leader. You made us what we are now. We take a bow.
Yoghurt
For gfxing covers and for designing almost every issue of the Scene. You are the best gfxer and gfx leader we ever had. Thank you for your dedication and hard work. The scene will lose it's color without you,
enigma86
For being the leader in the hard times, for helping us improve the magazine by much and for being a great friend.
tommii89
For starting his work as a great graphics artist, and then becoming a great leader of the press team.
f f a t S e n i z The Maga
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scene Ninth Release
February 2008
! h t n o m t x e n See you